A Gift for All Seasons, Judy Wicks, Spring 1997
Recently I was asked to speak to a group of young professionals on the subject of philanthropy. The first speaker was Republican City Councilman, Thatcher Longstreth, who told the group that he would pass on to them the sound advice his father once gave him. “Before you can do good,” he said, “you must do well.” As I listened to the philosophy of Philadelphia’s respected gentry and traditional philanthropists, I realized that I was about to give just the opposite advice.
It seemed to me that doing good should not be seen as a luxury, affordable only after being earned, but rather as a way of life which integrates our values with our work. I had looked up philanthropy in the dictionary, and in seeing it defined as “the effort to increase the well-being of mankind,” had decided that making money by any means and then donating the excess change to charity did not truly fit the definition. Have we been improperly measuring philanthropy by how much money we give away at the end of the year or the end of our career, rather than considering how we earn that money in the first place? Do we take too much credit for the volunteer hours give once a month, rather than honestly examining how the work we do 40 or more hours a week actually benefits mankind? Should we not also consider how we spend our earnings and our tax dollars toward the best interests of the common good?
An acquaintance who works for the foundation of a major corporation recently confided in despair that all the money that would ever be given by her foundation could not begin to make up for the environmental and social damage caused by the funding corporation in the process of making that money in the first place. Doing well, or making a profit, should never be separated from doing good. Increasing profit while not increasing the well-being of mankind has led to most of society's major problems - from poverty, crime, and addiction to ignorance, war, and environmental destruction. On the other hand, it’s the combination of profit and goodness which is perhaps our most powerful tool for solving these very problems, while also providing livelihood which bring fulfillment and happiness. In fact, is there really and other way that we can create a peaceful and healthy world where everyone can profit?
Looking at the concerned faces of the young professionals gathered in their ernest desire to do the right thing, I wondered how many felt forced to compromise their own values in order to do well at their own jobs. I gave them my advice:
It’s in your place of work, where you focus your full-time energy and attention, where you can most effectively be philanthropic by making business decisions which are profitable and increase the well-being of mankind. If your business mentor or boss tells you to leave your values at home when you start a business or go to work, tell them that your work must express what’s important to you.. If Madison Avenue tells you to buy products which harm you, the environment, or the workers who make them, tell them that you’ll only spend what you’ve earned on products or causes you believe in. If Congress tells you to forget about those less fortunate and just look out for yourself, tell them that you’ll gladly see your tax dollars used for teaching and healing, but not on weapons for killing and destroying. If someone advises you to do well before you do good, tell them that you’ll do well by doing good. Then you will be a true philanthropist and your gift will be the way you live your life every day of the year.
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